Brenda is a retired registered social worker who lives in a small rural community. She is passionate about health system transformation, focused on patient-oriented research in primary care and sits at the governance table with several health partner organizations. Brenda is a patient partner within the Saskatchewan Health Authority, a member of the Patient Family Leadership Council and serves on the SHA Board Quality and Safety Committee. Currently, she is co-chair of the Canadian Primary Care Research Network Patient Council and a member of the CIHR Institute Advisory Board of Health Services and Policy Research, in addition to her recent appointment to the North American Primary Care Network Board of Directors as the Canadian Patient Representative.
Key conversations with Brenda always begin with nurturing relational equity and co-creating community belonging through co-building trusting relationships and inclusion through understanding the diversity of thoughts. As a research collaborator, Brenda has been a co-applicant, co-investigator, knowledge user, and patient partner. She has also co-written a book chapter on patient engagement in The LEADS in a Caring Environment Framework: Putting LEADS to Work in People-Centered Care.
Data is the currency of the health system; however, it is people who drive health system transformation. I dream of a health system where evidence-based practices and science implementation come together with kindness and compassion.
While public health measures and vaccines have reduced the spread of SARS-CoV-2, most scientists predict this virus will become endemic and new variants will continue ...